I know this is a commonly disscussed topic, and in the end it may simply be more personal preference, but I am trying to consider an end of year lease / buy on a coupe or sedan. Now that the Coupe comes with X, even if it is Auto only, I am considering it in my choices...

I am going to be in a cold weather climate for a while, but with all the imports I have owned they have all been FWD, with 1 AWD, and zero RWD (except a 7 Yr old 1978 Fiat that barely counts as a car! My first ride).

The G today is built with VDC, TCS, and 4W-anti lock, things I have never had in any of my cars. I know with a great set of snow tires the RWD should do well thru winter, and i don't expect to equal the performance of AWD or climb huge drifts. My real problem is MT vs. Auto, i really want AWD and MT, so i will have to look at the A5 or 328/335 if i stick to my first choice -coupe with a stick.

The A5 will be the highest initial cost, AND quickly get killed in resale, while the Bavarian entry is a good choice it is also more clams and potentially more repairs over time then the G. So, my first choice looks to be the G37S.

Who here drives a G w/ RWD as a DD in a lot of snow, and would you chose AWD if you had it over to do again? A second vehicle is no longer an option for me for now, so I will have to make 1 choice.

If i have to give up the MT in a sports machine like the G, at least the coupe stays a choice with the new '09, but i want to have my cake and....

 

You can't get the paddle shifters or sports package on the X (sucks I know) But honestly, the 7 AT is supposed to be as fast or faster than the 6mt. The first 2 or 3 gears are really aggressive so it gets off the line fast. I considered all this stuff recently too, I'm pretty sure Imma stick with a 6mt myself but I get less than a week of snowfall per year so not a big concern for me, just gotta sell my 04 G first then make the jump!

 

Well Im also from Chicago and my g35 is a 6mt rwd. I drive it everyday. I drove it though the recent snow we just had and it did just fine. I have winter tires on it and 2 33 pound sand bags in my trunk for better traction just in case so I dont get stuck. As long as you don't do anything crazy in the snow and drive carefully then you'll be fine.

 

Do you want the MT because you think its more fun or because you want it to be faster?

Faster= MT and AT are about the same on the G37. They made the auto really aggressive as far as gear ratios and it is probably just as fast.

If you simply want the fun factor, get MT.

 

I own the 2004 RWD sedan and use regular (not even V-W-Z rated) all season tires. PA snows can be severe, but the freezing drizzle is the real problem. Never had a problem over 4 years. I use Kumho Solus tires, which are excellent, very smooth, very quiet and have great traction in dry/wet pavement. The key is common sense (like JUSTFLY above stated).... don't tail to close, take your time, watch the road carefully for black ice, always keep your VDC on when in snow/ice, etc. When I bought the car, I practiced in a Wal-Mart parking lot when it was empty to see how it would handle and learned how to manage it. So far.... no problems here. But then again, this isn't Fargo, Anchorage or Siberia.

You can get the same results out of the coupe, a Smart car, a 1989 Volvo240 sedan, and your grandmother's rear-wheel drive Chrysler-- mostly (not always) depends on your common sense and driving habits..

 

Thanks for the feedback,

I have had enough years in snow with Front WD that I am not an AW or 4X4 fanatic, but pushing vs. pulling against the chicago snows just started me thinking.

I will probably do the 50 lbs kitty litter in the trunk thing. Good idea.

I want am MT for the fun of it, I do not try and race light to light, so a few tenths is never something I am worried about. I have always driven MTs (up until my current ride) so I wanted to keep the new car a MT for the feel and drive you get with a true MT.

I just dont feel like I am as engaged or connected to the car if all I do is push 1 pedal and not control my shift points, I know the paddles have added some of that control back, but I guess in light of where automakers are headed I am considered 'old school' these days.

I can take the label, i just dont want to be driven, i want to drive it....

 

Then without a doubt get the 6MT. Just get some winter tires and you'll be set. Also NEVER turn off VDC when you are on the roads. Even some back country road that is a little snowy and no cars are on, because you will end up in a tree. The only time you should do that is in a massive empty parking lot with no light poles.

BTW Braintree, if you don't mind me asking, where are you in PA? I'm down in Bethlehem ha.

 

You can get the "S" pkg on a G35x for the 2008 model year (and I imagine shortly on the G37x sedan - already a 2009 G37xS sedan available in Canada)...I have a 2008 G35xS but in Buffalo have no choice on AWD vs RWD...AWD is a must for a year round car here (esp if you want to avoid an extra set of snow donuts and use one set of All Seasons)...IF I lived south of the Mason-Dixon line I'd go RWD for sure...and 6 MT (I had to unload my 2006 A4 S-line 6 MT to keep the peace with the wife - hence the 5 AT with paddles on the G35xS)...All things being equal, a G37 in RWD with the Sport package and 6 MT is the way to go...

 

Hey guys.
Just thought I'd share my Saturday nights G35 coupe 6MT(with summer tires) and 1 inch of fresh snow.
Well I was in a restaurant (on the mountains) up in West Vancouver and after about an hour and a half or so when time came to leave and go home, I came out to around an inch if not more of fresh snow.

Well I decided to try to drive home which I think was a stupid idea but didn't really have many options.

The result was 2.5 hours of driving @15-20KM /hour on this hwy and super slow on side roads. I slid all over the place and I'm still amazed when I reached my driveway after all. In some cases I actually had to take the VDC off otherwise the car wound not move at all with no grip to the rear wheels.
I can see the car drive and handle fairly well with some sand in the trunk and all season or winter tires. I will never drive the car again in conditions like that though; somehow I pulled through and didn't hit and curbs or other cars in the ditch.
By the way this is my 1st winter season with a G, before the G I had a 1991 Toyota GTS which is still parked in the garage (with summer wheels and tires as well), unfortunately.